Matty Kosylo was credited with nullifying Solihull Moors’ “dark arts”, as well as depriving them of two points with a brilliant last-minute equaliser as Altrincham pulled off one of the comebacks of the season at The ARMCO Arena.

Second-half substitute Kosylo played a key role in the most dramatic of turnarounds, laying on a goal for Regan Linney and rounding it off with a late leveller, as the Robins roared back for a 3-3 draw after trailing 3-1 with barely 10 minutes left.

But it was the way the diminutive attacker made an impact of a different kind that Phil Parkinson pointed to as welcome evidence of his squad’s new steely exterior.

One robust challenge earned him a yellow card and another risked a second, as Solihull players angrily jostled him, but there was only praise from admiring Alty boss Parkinson, who said: “There was a bit of the dark arts going on from Solihull - pulls, grapples, head locks that were missed by the referee - but Kossy made it clear he wasn’t having it. He is a competitor, and he will not allow us to be bullied.

“There was an off-the-ball incident where George Wilson was punched in the stomach, and they were doing little things like that all through the game, but we stood up to it, and Kossy was a catalyst for that.

“He put a big tackle in on their captain Jamey Osborne, and it was like he was saying enough is enough.

“That was a turning point, and he rounded it all off with a great finish, just brilliant.

“It was a magnificent performance by all of them, and it was particularly pleasing that the substitutions worked so well, with Joe Nuttall going on and combining with Kossy for the equaliser.”

Linney’s double took his tally for the season to 10, and Parkinson added: “I’ve done everything to keep him at the club, because I knew how important he would be for us.

“If we want to be a play-off team, we need Regan scoring as often as he is, and we need him doing it throughout the season.”